Over the weekend specifically last Saturday and Sunday because of the celebration of the Fiesta of Cebu, or the Sinulog Festival, Cebuanos and their local (estimated to have reached 1.5 million) visitors, especially foreign tourists experienced something unexpected, that there were no cellphone signals from our telecommunications providers, Smart Telecom, Sun Systems and Globe Telecom in Metro Cebu as part and parcel of the security measures to keep the Sinulog Festival safe from acts of terrorism......»»

em>By Janie McCauley, Associated Press /em>
OAKLAND — Klay Thompson returned from a one-game absence for rest and scored 23 points with four three-pointers in another balanced Golden State performance as the Warriors beat the Detroit Pistons 127-107 on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time).
Stephen Curry scored 24 points, Kevin Durant had 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and Draymond Green dished out 13 assists for his fifth game in the last eight in double digits.
Marcus Morris scored 21 points and Tobias Harris had 18 to lead the Pistons, who lost their second straight game.
Curry, Durant and Thompson scored at least 20 points in the same game for the 13th time this season. The Warriors notched their NBA-leading 27th game with 30 or more assists.
Thompson shot 9-for-15 after sitting out Tuesday night (Wednesday, PHL time) against Miami because he was worn down after playing through illness for two games.
'It's good for me in the long run. It's been a long couple of years,' Thompson said.
Ian Clark hit three-pointers 7.9 seconds apart in the final minute of the opening period and finished with 14 points for his second consecutive game in double figures and ninth in all.
The Warriors won their seventh straight at home against the Pistons dating to Feb. 27, 2010. It is Golden State's longest home winning streak against Detroit, topping a six-game run from 1974-76.
The 21 lead changes in the first half were the most in any half this season, the Warriors said, citing research by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Zaza Pachulia had made 19 straight free throws before a miss with 31.8 seconds left before halftime — ending the third-longest streak of his career.
strong>BAY AREA FIRE RELIEF /strong>
The Warriors, Oakland Athletics and Oakland Raiders presented a $750,000 check to aid victims from last month's deadly warehouse fire. For the presentation after the first quarter of Thursday night's (Friday, PHL time) Pistons-Warriors game, Golden State President and COO Rick Welts was joined by A's manager Bob Melvin, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Trevor Riggen, regional CEO of the American Red Cross.
On Dec. 2, 36 people died in the 'Ghost Ship' warehouse fire. Warriors players and coaches pledged $75,000, while the three pro teams in the East Bay said they would match donations up to $50,000 — and more than 3,600 individuals had contributed to the fund as of Thursday, according to the Warriors.
The funds are being collected by the City of Oakland and the Red Cross.
strong>DAVIDSON COLLEGE REPRESENTS /strong>
The Davidson College Chorale, a group of singers from Curry's college, sang the national anthem during its West Coast swing — and the two-time reigning NBA MVP gave the men and women a wave and nod as they cheered when he took the court for pregame warmups.
strong>TIP-INS /strong>
em> strong>Pistons: /strong> /em> The Pistons were outscored 41-19 in the third, the Warriors' ninth 40-point quarter. Detroit was outscored 29-2 on fast-break points and shot 6-for-28 from three-point range.
em> strong>Warriors: /strong> /em> On Friday night (Saturday, PHL time) in Southern California, Thompson will have his jersey retired at Santa Margarita Catholic High — the school's first jersey retirement for basketball. 'It's a huge honor for me,' he said. Golden State is 12-1 vs. the Eastern Conference this season and also won at Detroit on Dec. 23 (Dec. 24, PHL time). Andre Iguodala has gone a career-best five games without a turnover — topping his previous best from Dec. 30, 2014, to Jan. 7, 2015. He leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Warriors announced they had parted ways with former San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr after just having hired him as a consultant 'to advise the organization regarding certain security matters related to the team's ground breaking ceremony occurring in San Francisco next Tuesday.'
strong>UP NEXT /strong>
em> strong>Pistons: /strong> /em> At Utah on Friday night (Saturday, PHL time) in the fourth game of a five-game West Coast trip.
em> strong>Warriors: /strong> /em>Host Cleveland on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time) in a rematch of the Christmas Day game won 109-108 by the Cavaliers, who visit Oracle Arena for the first time since winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June. .....»»

BOHOL – Thousands of mostly students and teachers and citizens have attended and participated one of the biggest drug symposia conducted by the influential Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry or JMCIM in central Philippines. Dozens of members of the JMCIM led by prayer warrior Danny Cuarteros and wife Sister Jeany travelled all the way from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province in northern Philippines in bad weather just to be able to hold the symposium in Bohol province for the benefit of the students. The symposium – held at the Mayor Pablo O. Lim Memorial Astrodome &'' was in coordination and partnership with the Department of Education and other stakeholders in Bohol. Valencia town Vice Mayor Jorge Buslon also attended the drug symposium and gave an inspiring message to the huge crowd – students and teachers from Grades 7 to 11 of the Valencia Technical High School headed by Principal Jonas Gabutan. Brother Cuarteros’ daughter, Sister Angel, was one of the lecturers in the symposium and she talked about drug awareness and prevention. The Jesus Miracle Crusade Choir also held a peace concert. The symposium, dubbed “Holding Nothing Back,” was a big success, according to Brother Cuarteros, following the warm reception and hospitality of the host school and local government officials and the public, especially at a time that the Duterte government launched the second phase of its war against illegal drugs dubbed as “Oplan Taphang” which literally means “Operational Plan Tapok-Hangyo” Oplan Taphang aims to gather support from the public to help the police in its anti-drugs and anti-criminality campaign in the country. The group of Brother Cuarteros has conducted tens of dozens of crusades and drug symposium across northern Philippines in recent months, and played a key role in other religious activities in the country and abroad. The Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and national government officials, including lawmakers and armed partisan groups, have publicly praised JMCIM for its religious and active advocacy in various issues. “Hallelujah, praise the lord, through the leading prayers of our beloved and honorable Evangelist Pastor Wilde E. Almeda, the end time prophet of God, we are victorious in Jesus name,” Brother Cuarteros said, referring to the JMCIM founder. (Cebu Examiner) 164&'160;total views, 164&'160;views today.....»»

The incumbent mayor of the municipality of Pantar, Lanao del Norte was killed while two of his police escorts were wounded following an ambush staged by still unidentified assailants along the national highway of P-5G, Sitio Paitan, Brgy Dalipuga, Iligan City, Thursday night......»»